Supermarine – A Hidden Gem Tucked Away in Kitsilano

For my birthday, Mr. surprised me with a dinner at Supermarine. Since its opening, I’ve been wanting to check it out so I was very excited when our car pulled up right in front of the restaurant.

Supermarine focuses on sustainable, seasonal, local products, highlighting the best that our farmers and fishers can offer. There are a number of staple items on the menu with seasonal dishes as well as daily features.

Food

There isn’t a clear division of appetizers vs. entrees on the menu, so we basically just order a bunch of items to share. First, the name Octopus Chips immediately caught our attention and it just sounded like something fun to eat. And it sure was fun! Sliced octopus and fingerling potatoes were lightly battered then deep fried to become “chips”, served in a little jar. Both octopus and potatoes were crispy on the outside; the octopus was tender and not at all chewy, while the potatoes were soft and fluffy inside. The bravas sauce was a tomato-based aioli, slightly spiced. The chips became quite addictive and we couldn’t really stop eating them.

You probably don’t know but I’m a sucker for fried/roasted Brussels sprouts (best with bacon, of course!). Our friend NS makes a killer one and I even requested it for our Thanksgiving dinner. So when I saw Fried Brussels Sprouts on Supermarine’s menu, obviously it made its way to our table. There’s an Asian touch to this version with the use of soy and shallot as well as cilantro as garnish, and the honey added some sweetness to the dish. I always think balsamic vinegar and Brussels sprouts are a perfect match, but Supermarine used yogurt instead to introduce acidity and to my surprise, it worked just as well. The Brussels sprouts had crispy edges, yet they’re still tender. This was one of the best Brussels sprouts I’ve had.

Squid & Lamb, what an unusual combination of surf and turf! And the Middle Eastern influence was pretty apparent as they’re served on top of hummus! The hummus was creamy, perhaps a bit thinner than most hummus I’ve had, but the flavours were really good especially with the sprinkle of paprika. I liked that they added some whole chickpeas for crunch and texture. The squid was meaty, yet tender; the lamb was slightly crisped up, but there was too little of it. The sourdough was sourced locally from Bigsby Bakehouse, which had the nice chewy texture and a hint of sour taste.

I haven’t seen skate wings featured on menu for quite some time now, so it was quite intriguing when we saw Chicken Fried Skate. It wasn’t served in whole; instead, it’s cut up in chunks, battered and fried like chicken. It’s served with fried cornbread, slaw and a drizzle of honey. Lots of calorie in this dish, but it was super good! I loved how soft and tender the skate was; there’s cartilage inside so it wasn’t the most eater-friendly, but our server warned us beforehand so we knew what to expect. And to us, it was fun to eat, and we love chicken knees anyway so cartilage was not a problem for us. The cornbread might be on the greasy side, but Mr. said he would eat more cornbread if this is how it’s done (he’s not a fan of traditional cornbread). The portion was quite big here and it was one satisfying plate.

Lastly, for dessert we ordered the daily special. Fried Bananas isn’t the most creative dessert; the highlight on this plate for me was the earl grey dulce de leche — it was creamy, sweet, fragrant and full of earl grey flavour. Earl grey isn’t a flavour that can be easily infused, sometimes it comes out way too subtle or even unnoticeable but this was a very good sauce. Combined with the coconut sorbet, this was a tropical dessert for a wintry Vancouver.

Cocktails

In addition to a lot of classic cocktails, Supermarine also offers a number of cocktails either created by themselves or bartenders from Vancouver restaurants that are known for their cocktails, such as Wildebeest and the Diamond. We’ve tried three, the Sweetapple, Abigail, and the Ducati Thief. The Sweetapple was my favourite, a fruity slushee that would make a perfect pool-side cocktail. The Abigail reminded me of a mimosa. And the Ducati Thief tasted the strongest because of the gin. All cocktails here are served with a 2oz pour.

Final Thoughts

Supermarine isn’t located right on the main Kitsilano strip, so I almost feel like it’s being neglected. The combination of ingredients and flavours are unique and on-point, dishes are reasonably priced, and it has an extensive cocktail list. I think this restaurant deserves every bit of attention from the foodies in Vancouver.